The Hold Steady’s Craig Finn – “New Friend Jesus” & “Honolulu Blues”

The Hold Steady’s Craig Finn is going solo, and he has an album called Clear Heart Full Eyes full of his classic story-songs and jammy folk-rock guitar interplay to prove it. We’re loving how Finn brings his, um, personality (we should probably just come right out with it and say “wordiness”) to borderline-Bluegrass Americana on songs like “New Friend Jesus,” in which Finn imagines playing in a band and wooing an ex-love with the man himself over at least three different interwoven guitar lines, and jukebox-y, chugging Southern rock on “Honolulu Blues.” We’re psyched to see what the rest of the record has in store – it’s coming January 24 on Vagrant. Pre-order it.

Listen to “New Friend Jesus” over at Stereogum. “Honolulu Blues” is below: